ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · bound · squash · lean · stem · object · rock · land

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bound — certain
  3. lean — to bend
  4. object — an aim
  5. land — ground
  6. lean — thin
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rock — a stone
  14. object — to protest
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. squash — to crush
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com